MOST THEORIES IN THE AREAS OF PERSONALITY, CLINICAL, AND SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY PREDICT ONLY THE DIRECTION OF A CORRELATION, GROUP DIFFERENCE, OR TREATMENT EFFECT. SINCE THE NULL HYPOTHESIS IS NEVER STRICTLY TRUE, SUCH PREDICTIONS HAVE ABOUT A 50-50 …
The many criticisms of null hypothesis testing suggest when it is not useful and what is should not be used for. This article explores when and why its use is appropriate. Null hypothesis testing is insufficient when size of effect is important, but …
In recent years the use of traditional statistical methods in educational research has increasingly come under attack. In this article, Ronald P. Carver exposes the fantasies often entertained by researchers about the meaning of statistical …
Three historical episodes in which the application of null hypothesis significance testing (NHST) led to the mis-interpretation of data are described. It is argued that the pervasive use of this statistical ritual impedes the accumulation of …
According to R.A. Fisher, randomization “relieves the experimenter from the anxiety of considering innumerable causes by which the data may be disturbed.” Since, in particular, it is said to control for known and unknown nuisance factors that may …
After 4 decades of severe criticism, the ritual of null hypothesis significance testing (mechanical dichotomous decisions around a sacred .05 criterion) still persists. This article reviews the problems with this practice, including near universal …
Psychology has been criticized recently for a range of research quality issues. The current article organizes these problems around the actions of the individual researcher and the existing norms of the field. Proposed solutions align the incentives …